I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"a fair balance of military power." [SECO]  The BSI Professions Series marches on, this time in military time. The latest volume in the series is Corporals, Colonels, and Commissionaires: Military and the Sherlockian Canon, edited by Michael Quigley, BSI ("A Large, Brass-Bound Safe") and Marsha Pollak, BSI ("A Small But Select Library"). Together, they tell us the story behind the book: the curiou...

"he does not care for general practice, which distracts him from his literary work" [MISS] Letter from Conan Doyle to H. Greenough Smith, c. 1901 (Special Collections Toronto Public Libraries - Flickr) There must be something in the water. Or the air. Have you noticed an uptick of interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lately? We spoke with Mark Jones of the Doings of Doyle podcast last season. Since...

"you must acknowledge, my dear Holmes" [HOUN]  When you hear about Richard Ryan's writing projects, you might make an exclamation much like Watson did in the presence of Sherlock Holmes. The self-described "pantser" already had five books to his name on MX Publishing (The Vatican Cameos, The Stone of Destiny, The Druid of Death, The Merchant of Menace, Through a Glass Starkly) and is at work on hi...

"Unique, perfectly unique" [BRUC] When Vincent Starrett set out to write his cornerstone pastiche in 1920, it wasn't intended for an audience of Sherlock Holmes fans. For one, he didn't know of any others who were as fixated on Holmes as he was. Fortunately, Richard Sveum, BSI ("Dr. Hill Barton") is well connected in the Sherlockian world and was able to tap the talents of other Starrett experts a...

"a group of people who seemed to be intensely amused" [BLAN]Image credit: The BSI Trust Once upon a time, a man invited a group of his friends to join him for lunch and conversation about his favorite literary figure. Eighty-seven years later, the Baker Street Irregulars continues, but what about that early set of people? Thanks to the incredible research skills of Linda and Terry Hunt, we know mo...

 "You are a collector, this set has come your way" [ILLU] In our previous episode, we talked about some of the items in our collection, so we thought this time, we'd give you a glimpse into the collection of another Sherlockian as we launch Season 15 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. Charles Prepolec, BSI ("The Man with the Twisted Lip") is a Sherlockian whose collecting bug has run the gamut befo...

 "Maybe you collect yourself, sir" [EMPT] It's the end of 2020, and we thought it would be fun to interview each other about some of the favorite items in our collection. Even better: we thought we'd do it on live video. In addition to pulling out some items that may make your raise your eyebrows (either at the value of the items or our mental state upon purchasing them), we talked about the natur...

"I picked up a magazine from the table" [STUD] It's not common thinking that a print publication would be needed in 2020, but Sherlock Holmes Magazine seems to have come along at just the right time. Founder/editor Adrian Braddy joins us to talk about the inspiration for this well-produced and successful magazine that he launched earlier this year. It was a mixture of his background and experience...

  "What sort of a game is that—eh?" [DYIN] While it's customary for us to utter "the game's afoot!" at the end of each episode, in this case it's more appropriate to say it as we commence. We're joined by Dave Neale, researcher in play and psychology, writer and game designer. Dave is responsible for the the game Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars. In our wide-rangin...

 "striking illustration of those powers for which my friend was famous" [SOLI]  The name Frederic Dorr Steele is legendary among Sherlockians. Even for those who don't know his name, his iconic rendering of Sherlock Holmes (as partly inspired by William Gillette) has left us with distinctive imagery. Sadly, Steele was buried in an unmarked grave in his family plot at the Albany Rural Cemetery in M...

"that strange wireless by which such people collect the news" [LION]  Moving from the definitive Sherlock Holmes on radio in our last episode to the definitive Sherlock Holmes of television, we're joined by Gus and Luke Holwerda, the fraternal team responsible for The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast. This duo is as enthusiastic about the Granada series as we are (perhaps more!) and they bring...

 "an incomparable actor" [STUD]  Anyone who is interested in the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and audio (that's why you're here, isn't it?) is familiar with the name Clive Merrison. The definitive Sherlock Holmes of the audio realm, Clive Merrison holds the distinction of being the only actor to play Sherlock Holmes in dramatized form in every one of the 60 stories from the Canon, as well as in...

"The stage lost a fine actor" [SCAN]  David Stuart Davies, BSI ("Ralph Musgrave") is the world's leading authority on Jeremy Brett. David has written extensively about Brett, including in his landmark 1996 biography Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, published the year after Brett's death, and having spent many hours interviewing him. We just marked the 25th anniversary of Jeremy...

"I should like to see a sister of mine" [COPP]  The name Enola Holmes ought to be familiar to most Sherlockians by now. Aside from her appearance in six books, on September 23, 2020, the youngest Holmes sibling makes her debut on Netflix. Nancy Springer author of the Enola Holmes series, joined us to talk about how her creation sprang to life and where she finds her strength. We go so far as to un...

 "so many remarkable adventures" [MAZA]   David Marcum has a good 45 years of Sherlockian fandom under his belt. Based on his output of writing and editing Sherlockian pastiches, you'd think he's been at it ever since his childhood. As the editor of the series of MX Books of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, he's responsible for bringing scores of new tales to the world, and his pace doesn't seem to be...

"step up, Wiggins" [STUD] Earlier this year, Mike Whelan, BSI ("Vincent Spaulding") passed the gavel to Michael Kean, BSI ("General Gordon") as the latter assumed the position of "Wiggins," or head administrator of the Baker Street Irregulars. It was a momentous occasion, as Kean is only the sixth head of the BSI since its founding in 1934. Burt and Scott had an opportunity to speak with Michael o...

“one would like to know the reason for such elaborate deception.” [MISS]  In the west end of London, an apparently crazed individual is on the loose, breaking into art galleries and private homes to slash valuable paintings of women. Enter Joanna Blalock and the Watsons, protagonists in the latest in the Daughter of Sherlock Holmes mystery series. Leonard Goldberg, a USA Today bestselling author,...

“the little man was much more favourable to me” [REDH]  In their 86-year history the Baker Street Irregulars have had six leaders. Of them, Julian Wolff, BSI ("The Red-Headed League) seems to have been the least likely. As Malvolio says in Twelfth Night, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." Julian was in the third category, as there was a leadersh...

“enterprise and originality” [COPP]  When Steve and Sharon Emecz founded MX Publishing, it had a very different purpose than it does today. And while most Sherlockians know the outfit for its many pastiches (particularly through the MX Collection edited by David Marcum), there's much more going on here than one might realize. Steve Emecz joined us to talk about what drives him and how MX has grown...

“Do you feel a creeping, shrinking sensation” [CHAS]  Holmes and Watson turn to burglary in "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton," seeking to thwart the designs of "the worst man in London." The story holds a unique place in the Canon for its distinctive villain and the Great Detective's "strong natural turn" for criminal enterprise, as well as the host of thorny ethical questions raised b...

“Have you heard nothing of doings hereabouts?” [VALL]  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a complex man. We know him mostly for his Sherlock Holmes stories, but he was so much more. His interest in spiritualism began far before his son's death, for example. And his storytelling abilities span historical and legal topics, as well as drama and poetry in addition to fiction. The Doings of Doyle podcast by Pa...

“the apple of his eye” [SILV]  "Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest of shapes," Sherlock Holmes told us in "The Greek Interpreter." And in the case of Regina Stinson, it takes a number of fascinating shapes. Regina Stinson, BSI ("A Little Ribston-Pippin") is a longtime Sherlockian who was so determined to meet with other like-minded people that she established her own society. She tak...

“he sat musing for a little while” [CREE]  We muse about a great many topics, both here and on our companion show, Trifles. So it seemed only perfect to bring on Sheldon Goldfarb, author of Sherlockian Musings: Thoughts on the Sherlock Holmes Stories. We certainly had our expectations met, but they were also exceeded, as Sheldon brought in his knowledge of William Makepeace Thackeray, shared some...

“a series of lessons with the greatest for the last” [REDC]  The BSI Press continues its Professions Series in 2020, this time with Education Never Ends: Education, Educators, and the Sherlockian Canon. And we sat down with Marino C. Alvarez, Ed. D., BSI ("Hilton Soames") and Timothy S. Greer, BSI ("Ragged Shaw"), editors of the volume. They schooled us on all of the ways that education plays a ro...

“discussion of those questions which lie between us” [FINA]  In an effort to cheer the spirits of the home-bound and continue reveling in Sherlock Holmes, we decided a show with just Burt and Scott discussing current affairs was, in addition to brandy, just what the good doctor ordered. Given that all Sherlockian gatherings this spring have been cancelled or postponed, we used this as a jumping-of...